George Heyman has been nominated the NDP candidate in Vancouver–Fairview for the upcoming provincial election.

The Sierra Club B.C. executive director and former B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union president beat Vancouver Coun. Geoff Meggs for the nomination.

The riding is currently held by Liberal Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmid, who won it in 2009 with 47 per cent of the vote. The NDP got 42 per cent.

But political commentator Bill Tieleman says Vancouver–Fairview, which was held by then-NDP MLA Gregor Robertson from 2005 to 2008, is a swing riding.

"It’s an extremely important riding. It’s been NDP in the past … It’s one of the seats you have to win in order to win an election … so this will be a critical battleground riding," he said.

"This riding is one that’s gone back and forth as the ebb and flow of power and politics goes on, so if you can’t win this riding as an NDP party, then you’re going to have a big problem."

British Columbians are scheduled to head to the polls in May 2013.

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For A #BetterBC, I Would...

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"... open the borders."
"Let everybody come in and enjoy being multicultural."

"... bring trust back to politicians."
" I would personally love to see from the political side of things, municipal or provincial, that we reach out and try to do a better job of engaging the public and bringing them along for all the decisions being made."

"... I will protect the wilderness and coast of B.C. from development."
"In my culture it's part of my past and understanding that everything is connected so once you take away the cedar trees and clear-cut the forest, how are we supposed to make cedar baskets? It's important to me, to First Nations in B.C. to keep our culture alive and pass down what has been passed down to us."

"... build more affordable housing."
"For me it's about making sure we have a range of housing available in the cities and the regions to allow people to live and work where they choose, not because they have to. And that just helps our economy because if you can work closer, that's great!"

"... relax the rule about campfires on beaches a little bit."
"I think we could all use a few more beachfire sing-a-longs in our lives!"

"... do whatever is necessary to make sure next time the Canucks are in the Stanley Cup final, the series doesn't go seven games."

"... (have) no pipelines."
"I would like to see a ban of any future prospect of an oil pipeline coming through B.C. from Alberta to the coast."

"... share my favourite radio station with everyone."
"I would make my favourite radio station in the world, UBC's CiTR 101.9 mandatory listening for all British Columbians! Doot doola doot doo ... doot doo!"

"... focus on educating the next generation with an emphasis on moral and ethical values and by inspiring them to live a life of meaning and purpose."
Ohel Ya'Akov Community Kollel

"... how much better can it get?"
"I sincerely believe that Canada is the best country in the world to live in and B.C. is the best province in the country. I can't point to a single thing that would make the whole province a whole lot better."
Penticton Whole Foods Market